East of the Sea, Shôwa period, circa 1960s

This woodblock print evokes the vast expanse of ocean stretching toward a distant horizon. The title "East of the Sea" suggests a viewpoint looking outward from Japan's Pacific coast, where the open water meets the sky. Mizufune Rokushu worked in an abstract mode that converted natural subjects into interlocking color fields and textured surfaces. Rather than depicting waves and water with literal detail, the composition likely uses layered blocks of blue, green, and grey to suggest the sea's immensity. The Showa-era dating places this work within the postwar period when Japanese printmakers were increasingly influenced by Western abstraction while retaining the woodblock medium's unique capacity for flat, saturated color. The grain of the woodblock itself contributes texture that evokes the surface of water more effectively than any drawn line could.